Gas trap



Sept. 22, 1925. 1,554,471

, M. J. TRUMBLE 1 GAS TRAP Filed April 16, v192:5

GZ// \v w Z8 5/ Z7 I Fig' LQ/M- Patented Sept. 22, 1925. L

UNITED STATES A 11,554,471 vPari-:NT OFFICE.

HILON TRUMBLE, 0F LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA, ASSIGNOR T0 TRUHBLE GAS TRAP CO., 0F LOS ANGELESrCALIFORNIA, A COPARTNEBSHIP CONSISTING O'F MILON J'. TRUMBLE, FRANCIS I. TOWNSEND, AND ALFRED J'. GUTZLER.

cuis- TRAP.

Application led April' 16, A1923. Serial No. 632,286.

To all 'whom t may concern:-

Be it known that I, MiLoN J TRUMBLE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Los Angeles, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented a new and useful Gas Trap, of which the following is a specification.

r1 hi`s invention relates to the oil producing industries, and relates particularly to an improved form of gas apparatus.

Oil from the wells contains a considerable lamount of natural gas, which is a valuable by-product inasmuch as it may be used as fuel at the Well, or piped to various localities where it may be used.

To remove this natural gas from the oil, the oil is directed through a gasy trap, at which time the gas is separated from the oil; the gas being directed through one pipe and the oil through another pipe, to their respective storage tanks. y

It is an object of the invention to provide an improved form of gas trap which will separate the gas from the oil more eiliciently. This is accomplishedfby providing an improved form of oil distributer, which will distribute the oil evenly over a large area and thereby facilitate the separation of the gas therefrom. I

It is a further object of the invention to provide an improved form of gas trap which will produce a Ivery thorough separation of natural gas from the oil. This is done by directing the gas, after it has been separated from the oil, through a series of tray members which will remove any particles of oil A which are carried in the gas, and thereby accomplish a very thorough separation of the gas from the oil. 0

Addi"onal advantages of the invention and further 'objects thereof will be made evident hereinafter.

Referring i0 the drawing, which is forl illustrative purposes only: v

Fig. 1 is a vertical sectional view of a preferred, form of my invention.

Fig. 2 is a section taken as indicated by the' line 2-2 of Fig. 1. A

Fig. 3 is a fragmenta section illustrating an alternative form o distributer which may be used to accomplish vthe hereinbefore mentioned results.

Fig.' 4 is a section taken on the plane represented by the line 4 4 of Fig. 3.

l As shown in rig. 1, 11.` represents a gas trap into which oil containing natural gas characteristics is introduced through a pipe l2, the oil firstlowing into an annular distributer 14 which is bolted between the sections 15 and 16 which comprise the shell 17 of the gas trap 11.

The distributer 14 provides an annular channel 18 into which the oil circulates 'and has an over-flow wall 19. -Over the channel -18 extends an inwardly projecting and al downwardly curved li'p 21, which extends to a point inside the wall 19 and below .the top thereof. as shown. This construction forms a restricting over-flow channel 21 through which the oil must pass upon overflowing from the channel 18. It Will readily be seen that by providing a restrictino over-flow 21, as shown, that the flow of oil therethrough will be evenly distributed therearound, because of thefact that the channel 21 allows only a limited amount of oil to pass therethrough at any one point.

After passing through the over-How channel 21 the oil drops onto a conical deflector 23 and is directed thereby down the side of the shell 17, the oil being in a thin filmand coveringan extensive area. The gas vat this time will rise-upwardly through the opening 24. in the defiector 23 and the oil will continue downwardly into the body of. oil 25 which fills the lower part ofthe shell 11.

In the -lippeisection 15 of the shell 11, interceptor pans 26 and 27 are alternately placed; the pan 26 being` smaller in diameter than the shell 11 and the pan 27 being the full size thereof but having an ,opening 28 through the center thereof.

The gas, passing upwardly, as indicated by the arrow 29, must circulate around the pan 26 and through the opening in the an 27 and then around the upper pan 26, a er which the gasl may liow through the outlet 30. f f v j Owing to the comparatively small area of the outlet opening through the pipe rela- -tive to the area of the shell 11, the gas travels at a slow rate of speed between the intereptor pans and, being brought into contact with these pans, is relieved of an particles of oil or heavy characteristics;` t e loil collected therefrom may ydrop in the shell 11 through thel drip pipes y31 located in the pans 26 and 27.

The body ofoil 25is maintained at a certain level in the shell 17 by the float 33 which pivots on a shaft 34 and which is connected to valve 35 located in the oil outlet 36 through the link 37. The rising'or lowering of the float 33 opens or closes the valve 35, in accordance with the inflow of oil through the inlet 12, if the oil flows into the tank at a higher rate of speed than usual, the level of thel body of oil 25 will rise and thereby raise the float 33, which will open the valve 35 more, allowing the oil to flow from the tank at approximately the same rate of speed as it enters therein.

In Figs. 3 and 4 is illustrated an alternative form of distributer, in which figures 50A presents the shell of a as trap which has a distributer 51 mountet therein. This distributer consists of an annular pipe 52 which has oil outlet holes 53 in the lower side thereof and Which rests in a circular channel 54, as shown. The oil, .entering through a pipe 55, circulates through the pipe 52, flowing through the .hole 53 and filling the channel 54. The oil Will over-How thewall 56 thereof and How down overa deflector 57 in the sam@J manner as previously described.

The use of an annular distributer of eitherof the types shown provides a very even distribution of oil in a thin film over` the surface ofthe cone and the inner wall of the shell-11. By flowing the incoming sult that a verythin film is produced.

I claim as my invention:

1. In a gas trap: a distributor -comprising a loop channel'adapted to discharge a gasoil mixture in a4 stream extending-around said channel.

2. In a gas trap: a distributor comprising a loop channel adapted to discharge a gasoil mixture in a comparatively thin and uniform stream `extending around said distributor. v

3. In a gas separator, the combination of: a shell having a cylindrical side wall and having a gas outlet at the, top thereof and an oil outlet at the bottom; means for regulating the flow of oilv through said outlet; annular distributingv means for delivering a flow of oil in a substantially fully circular film down lthe surface of the side Wall of said shell; and an inlet for feeding oil to.

l said distributing means.

4. In a gas separator, the combination of: a shell having a cylindrical side wall and having a gas outlet at the top thereof and fan oil outlet at the bottom; means for regulating the flow of oil through said outlet; an annular distributing member for delivering a substantially fully circular film of oil;

a substantially fully circular film of oil;

means for deflecting this film of oil against interior cylindrical Wall of said shell to prevent the coalescing ofthe oil film into drops'; and an oil inlet for feeding oil to said distributing means. i

6. In 'a gas separator, the combination of: a shell having a cylindrical side Wall and having a gas outlet at the top thereof and an oil outlet at the bottom; means for regullating the flow of oil through /said outlet;

an annular distributing member for Vde-` livering a substantially fully' circular film of oil; an annular defiector member for defleeting this film of oil against interior cylindrical Wall of said shell to prevent the coalescing of the oil film into drops; and an oil inlet for feeding oil to said distributing means.

7. In a gas separator, the combination of: a shell having a gas outlet at the top thereof and an oil outlet at the bottom; means for regulating the fiow of oil through said outlet; interceptor plates between which outflowing gas is directed at a slow rate of travel;- and means for delivering a flow of oil ina substantially unbroken film down the entire encircling surface of the side Wall of said shell.

8. In a gas separator, the combination of: a shell having a cylindrical side lwall and having a gas outlet at the top thereof and an oil outlet atthe bottom; means for regulating-the liow of oil through said outlet; interceptor plates between which outflowing gas is directed ata slow rate of travel; an annular distributing member for delivering a substantially fully circular film yof oil; means for deflecting this film of oil against interiorl cylindrical wall of said shell to prevent they coalescing of the oil ,film into drops; and an oil outlet for feeding oil to said distributingmeans.

9. In a as separator, the combination of: a shell l(having a gas outlet at the top thereof and an oil outlet at the bottom; means for regulating the flow ofoil through said outlet; interceptor plates between which outflowing gas is directed at a slow rate of travel, said interceptor plates hav- `ing upwardly turned edges to prevent overflow ofl collected oil particles; downspouts cylindrical wall of said shell to prevent the o for carrying the collected oil down from said interceptor plates; an annular distributing member for delivering a substantially fully circular fihn of oil; means for deflecting this film of oil against interior coalescing of the oil filml into-drops; and an oill outlet for feeding oil to said distributing means.

10. In a gas trapza distributor comprising a loop channel adapted to dischar e a gas-oil mixture in a stream exten ing around said channel ;A and means for supplying said mixture to said channel to cause said mixture to overflow said channel.

11. In a gas tra a distributor 'comprising a loop channe adaptedAk to dischar e a `gas-oil mixture in a stream exten ing around said channel; and 'a distributor plate adapted to receive said mixture from said channel. y

, 12. In a gas trap: a distributor comprising a loop channel adapted toA discharge a gas-oil mixture in a stream extending around said channel; a distributor plato adapted to receive said mixture from said channel; and a shell, said distributor plate being adapted to direct the as-oil mixture against the interior of saidws ell.

13. In a gastra a distributor comprising a loop channe adapted to dischar a gas-oil mixture in a stream vextending around tsaid channel; sa distributor plate adapted to receive said mixture vfrom said channel; a shell, said distributor plate being adapted to direct the gas-oil mixture against the interior of said shell; and baille p ates in said shell against which move the gases released l from said mixture and oil particles entrained by said ases.

14. In a gas tra a distri utor comprising aloop channe adapted to dischar e a gas-oil mixture in a stream exten ing around said channel; a distributor plate adapted to receive said mixture from said channel; a shell, said distributor plate being adapted 'to direct the gas-oil mixture against the interior of said shell, said shell havinga Uasoutlet and an oil outlet; and means for regulating the oil flow through said outlet.

through which saidmixture may How in a 1 comparatively tributedstream.

17. In a gas. tra a shell; a distributor in said shell, sai distributor comprisin a reservoir extending around said shell; an means for supplyin reservoir, said distri. utor having an vorifice extending therearound through'which may pass the overflowl from said reservoir.

y 18. The combination-'claimed in claim 17 in which said orifice is of comparatively small cross sectional area. t

19. In a gas tra a shell; a distributor for receivin and olding a mixture of oil and gas, sai distributor comprisin a reservoir extending around said shel interiorly therof; and means for su plying said mixture' to said reservoir,` sai distributor having a substantially-cnntinuous restricted thin` and' uniformly dissaid mixture to. said orifice extending therearound, said orifice being an outlet for the overflow of the oilgas mixture from said channel.

20. In a gas tra for receivip and olding a mixture of oil and gas, sai distributor comprising a reservoir extending around saidl shell interiorly thereof; and means for surplyin said mixture to saidreservoir, sai distri utor having a substantiallyV continuous restricted orifice extending therearound, said orifice being an outlet for the overflow of the oilgas mixture from said channel, and formed y overlapping spaced Wall portions of said distributor.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles. California, this 9th day of April 1923.

MILON J. TRUMBLE.

: a shell; a distributor 

